Improvement in shell-fuses



J. G. BUTLER.

Improvement in Shell-Fuses. .'No. 129,929;

V:Patented July 30, 1872.4

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A UNITED STATEs PATENT DEEICE.

JOHN G: BUTLER, OF UNITED STATES ARMY.`

IMPROVEMENT IN'SHELL-FUSES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 129,929, dated July 30, 1872.

SPECIFICATION.

To whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN G. BUTLER, of the United States Army, of Fortress Monroe, in the county of Elizabeth (lity and State of- Virginia, have invented anew and Improved Fuse for Rifle Projectiles, of which the following is a specification:

The object of the invention is, rst, to secure the invariable explosion of the projectile Whether the same shall strike end on7 or on its side, as is liable to be the case in field ring. A second object is to have the head of the projectile solid, as I apply my fuse to the rear, whereby the head of the projectile is stronger and better able to Withstandthe shock of impact against hard resisting objects, such as iron-clad ships, the walls of fortifications, Snc. A third object is to protect the fuse itself from contact with the object struck, whereby it Would be liable to distortion and derangement before it had time to perform its function.

It is well known that many percussion-fuses will secure the explosion ofthe projectile provided the latter strikes end on," but that on the battle field, and in cases of bombardment at long ranges, it is discovered that great numbers of shells fail to explode because projectiles seldom, if ever, keep tangent to their traj ectories, and therefore must strike level ground upon their sides. My fuse is designed to entirely obviate this difficulty.

Description of the Accompanying Drawing.

Figure I is a longitudinal section of my fuse screwed into the base of a projectile, which is shown in outline. Fig. II is a rear view of the fuse. Fig. III is a side elevation of fuse. Fig. IV is a longitudinal section through my fuse slightly modified. Fig. V is a rear view of same. Fig. VI is a side elevation of same.

General Description.

Corresponding letters denote corresponding parts.

A, Fig. I, is the base of the projectile, shown in outline by a dotted line. B is the fuse-stock screwed into base of shell. P P' is a plunger,77 divided into two parts--a ball, P, and cylinderPL-which, being united, form a chamber, M, for the reception of fine powder. I is a tenon, square or polygonal in crosssection',

forming part of base of plunger P P', and fitting into corresponding mortise or offset in the end of the fuse-stock B. The object of this tenon is t0 prevent the independent motion, by its inertia, of the plunger P I" when the projectile commences to rotate from the riilin g. (l D and (l' D' are roughenedA or serrated wires passing through a ange at the head of the fuse-stock at D and D', strongly riveted at these points, and thence passing through channels in the cylindrical part P' of the plunger, and clinched over the edge of the same at C and C'. The channels through which these serrated wires pass are filled with friction com. position-as, for example, two parts of the sulphuret of antimony and one part of the chlorate of potassa, with solution of gum arabic, quantum sujjcz't. O O and O' O' are holes drilled through the Walls of the plunger in the part P', intersecting the channels"` containing the wires C D and C' D'. These holes are also filled with friction composition. Thus filled they serve to seal the chamber M, and at the same time communicate ignition to the powder in M and in the shell. S is a safety-screw, which, in its present position, secures the plunger P P' firmly to the fuse-stock B. K is a cylindrical key, witha square mortise or recess, V, which fits loosely over the squared end of the screw S, which it can thereby turn. F is a sm all screw-plug, into which the key K is riveted or secured, so that it may be freely turned. E E and E' E' are thin flanges, which will serve as gas-checks,77 and prevent the entrance of gas at the junction of parts. In Fig. IV the plunger P P' is solid, with the exception of three or more diagonal channels, through which pass the serrated friction-wires G D and C' D', and of two larger channels, O O, Figs. IV and VI, crossing each other at right angles through the center of the spherical portion of the plunger. The safety-screw S and key K are also united in one piece. Z Z is a copper gascheck.77 It is cup-chaped, and, when fiattened by the force of discharge against the bottom of the recess N N, shuts off the gas between the fuse stock and key K. W W is a lead Washer to tighten the junction of fuse-stock and projectile.

The manner of operating this fuse is as follows: Suppose the shell charged and ready for firing, before inserting it iu the gun turn' the key K to the left, by means of a screw-driver, until the safety-screw S no longer secures the plunger P P to the stock B; then insert the projectile in the gun, and fire. If the projectile strikes an object end on77 the plunger P P darts forward by its inertia, and the serrated Wires, being more firmly secured at D and D than at C C', break loose at C G', and are drawn quickly through the friction composition surrounding them, thus igniting the same and securing ignition of all powder and com position in the chamber M and orifices O O', and, the plunger P P being cast loose amidst the powder in the projectile, the explosion of the latter is assured. If the projectile falls or strikes upon its side, then the plunger tips over toward the side on which the projectile strikes, and, drawing out the wires on the opposite side, thus effects ignition and explosion. Thus, in Figs. I andl IV,'if the projectile strikes on the side X, then the friction-wire G Dl ignites the composition in the plunger. If the projee'- p tile strikes on the'side Y, then the friction-wire C D will perform its function; and by having three or more friction-wires at even intervals around the plunger, one or more of these will always be unsheathed.

Claims.

I claim as my invention The perforated plunger P P', solid or in parts,

Witnesses WM. ADAMS, EDWARD J. MeELRoY. 

